Sealed can and method of making the same



May 10, 1932. a H. SEBELL 1,857,665

SEALED, CAN: AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INUENTOR Harry Sebell b f YMMXM H. SEBELL 1,857,665'

SEALED CAN AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 10, 1932.

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. Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT :OFFICE HARRY sm nrin, or nos'ron. MASSACHUSETTS, nssrenoa or ONE-HALF r ARTHUR H. a rnnxna, or LEXINGTON, MassAcnUsn'r'rs SEALED CAN {ND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Application med March 15, 1930. serial-no. 486,022.

This invention relates to a sealed can and to'a method of sealing the same and particularly to a can having a cover of the so-called slip-on variety, that is, a cover which s rovided' witha skirt or flange adapted to t over the open end of the can body.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a can of this type in which when the can is sealed the cover is locked to the can body by a locking ring which is nterposed between the skirt of the cover and the end of the can body and which is interlocked both with the can body and the cover.

In order to give anunderstanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawmgs some selected embodiments thereof which will now be described after which the novelfeatures will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a sealed can embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the locklng 3 is a sectional view showing the locking ring and can cover part ally assembled and in the first stages of being apphed to the can body;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the sec-' I of the cover or on the bead 5 and the cover 0nd stage in the sealing operation;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the final and last stage of the sealing operation;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a different embodiment of the invention. 1

In the drawings, 1 indicates the can body which is open at its up er end and 2 mdicates thecan cover. T is cover is of the so-called slip-on variety, it having a depending skirt 3 which encircles the upper end 4 of the can body. The can body is shown as having a'beaded upper edge 5 and the can cover is made with the annular groove portion 6 which fits over the bead 5. When the can is sealed a gasket or sealing compound 7 will be placed between the head 5 and the bottom of the groove 6 thereby to make a hermetic seal.

' The cover is locked in position on the can the can is sealed. is situated ,between' the skirt 3 and the upper end 4 of the can body and is interlocked both to the can body and to the can cover. This'locking ring is shown' as a split ring or band'and it is interlocked with the can body through the medium of a bead 9 which is formed on the bottom of the locking ring or band on the inner side thereof and a corresponding annular groove 10 formed in the can body into which the head 9 is received.

The locking ring is interlocked with the can cover through the medium of prongs or fingers 11 with which the locking ring is provided and which extend through opemngs 12 in the cover and which are bent downwardly to overlie the outside of the cover as shown in Fig. 1.

The engagement of the skirt 3 of the cover with the locking ring holds the bead 9 of the locking ring in the groove 10 thus locking the ring to the can body and preventing the locking ring and cover from being pulled ofif from the open end of the body. The fingers or tabs 11 tie the cover to the locking ring whereby the cover is firmly held to the can.

The manner of sealing the can with this construction is as follows. The sealing compound 7 will be placed either in the groove 6 and locking ring may be partially assembled as shown in Fig. 3by inserting the fingers or tabs 11 part way through the openings 12 of the cover. When thus partially assembled the locking ring will extend considerably below the skirt 3. When the cover and locking ring are in this relative positionthey are applied to the can, during which operation the locking ring will slide down on the can as shown in Fig. 4.

Since the locking-ring is a split ring it is permitted to expand sufliciently to allow the head 9 which'is located on the inside of the locking ring to be forced over the end 4 of the can body and beyond the groove 10.

When the cover has been seated on the end of the can as-shown in Fig. 4 then the locking ring is drawn upwardly into its locking position. This can be done by applying a pulling strain to the fingers or ears 11. It will be understood, of course, that pressure will be applied to thecover 2 during this 0 oration so as to hold the cover tightly seale against the head 5.'

The pulling strain ap lied to the fingers or ears 11 will pull the loc ing rin up into the space between the skirt 3 and t e upper end 4 of the body. As soon' as the locking ring has been carried into a. position where the bead 9 is in alignment with the groove 10 then said bead W111 snap into the groove thus interlocking the locking ring with the can body. When the locking ring is in this position then the projecting ends of the fingers 11 are bent downwardy against the outer wall of the skirt 3 of the can cover as shown in dotted lines'Fig. 5, by which operation the cover is interlocked with the locking ring. When the can is sealed, therefore, the locking ring which is exposed between the skirt 3 and the upper end 4 of the can body is interlocked with 0th the can body and the can cover.

To open the can the fingers 11 will be bent back into their straight position as shown in full lines Fig. 5 after which the cancover may be pried or forced off from the can body. After a can has once been opened it can be seated again as above described or if a hermetic seal is not desired then the locking rin may be discarded and the can may be close by simply placing the cover on the can as any slip-on cover is. placed on its can.

The locking ring is of relatively thin material so that even when it has been discarded and the cover has been replaced on the can the skirt 3 fits the can reasonably tightly.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a slightly different embodiment of the invention wherein the upper edge of the can and the can cover are so shaped relative to each other that when the can cover is in place it will frictionally engage the inner side of the bead at the upper edge of the can body. With this construction the cover will have a tight sealing engagement with the can body when said cover is replaced after the can has once been opened.

In Fig. 6 the can body 1 is bent at its upper edge to form a bead 13 which has a cylindrical inner face 14 and the groove portion 15,0f the cover is made with the flat faces at right angles to each other to fit the rectangu-' P lar bead 13, the wall or face 16 of the cover fitting tightly against the cylindrical face 14 of the bead. With this construction thecover will be frictionally retained in place by the engagement of the'wall 16 of the cover with the wall 14 of the bead.

This cover is sealed to the can by the looking ring 8 all as above-described but whenthe cover is replaced on the can body after the can has once been opened and the locking ring has been discarded there will be a tight friction fit between the wall 16 of the cover and the walls 14 of the can body which will.

which fits over the upper end of the can body and a locking ring interposed between the skirt portion and said upper end of the can body, said locking ring having fingers which extend through and are interlocked with the cover. 1

2. A sealed can comprising .a can body, a

can cover havingla skirt portion to fit over. e can body, and a thin, flat the open end of t locking ring encircling the can body and located between the skirt of the can cover and the u per end of the can body, said locking ring eing interlocked with the can body below the skirt of the cover and with the can cover above said skirt.

3.v A sealed can comprising a can body having an external groove adjacent its open end, a can cover having a skirt ortion to fit over the openend of the can bc y, a locking ring interposed between said skirt portion of the cover and the upper end of the can body and having a bead received in the groove of the can body, said locking ring being interlocked with the can cover.

4. A sealed can comprising a can body having an external groove adjacent its open end, a can cover having a skirt ortion to fit over the open end of the can bc y, a locking ring interposed between said skirt portion of the cover and the upper end of the can body, said locking rin having a bead fitting into the goove of t e can body and having locking gers extending through the cover and bent over a ainst the outside of the cover.

5. e method of sealing a can in which the can cover has, a skirt portion which fits over the upper end of the can, said method consistin in partially assembling a can cover and a ocln'ng ring y placing the locking ring artially within the skirt of the cover, applying the partially assembled cover and sealing ring to the can body by seating the cover on the can bodyband forcing the locking ring over the can dy and then drawing the locking ring into the space between the skirt of Ill the cover and the upper end of the can body upper end of the can bod said lockin ring being interlocked with t e can body elow said skirt, and also being interlocked with the can cover.

7 A sealed can comprising a can body, a can cover having a skirt portion to fit over the open end of the can body, and a thin flat locking ring encircling the can body and located between the skirt of the cam cover and the upper end of the can body, said locking ring being interlocked with the can cover above said skirt and also being interlocked with the can body.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

. HARRY SEBELL. 

